A Student's Guide to Special Relativity

Gray, N. (2022) A Student's Guide to Special Relativity. Series: Student's Guides. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. ISBN 9781108995634 (doi: 10.1017/9781108999588)

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Abstract

This compact yet informative Guide presents an accessible route through Special Relativity, taking a modern axiomatic and geometrical approach. It begins by explaining key concepts and introducing Einstein's postulates. The consequences of the postulates – length contraction and time dilation – are unravelled qualitatively and then quantitatively. These strands are then tied together using the mathematical framework of the Lorentz transformation, before applying these ideas to kinematics and dynamics. This volume demonstrates the essential simplicity of the core ideas of Special Relativity, while acknowledging the challenges of developing new intuitions and dealing with the apparent paradoxes that arise. A valuable supplementary resource for intermediate undergraduates, as well as independent learners with some technical background, the Guide includes numerous exercises with hints and notes provided online. It lays the foundations for further study in General Relativity, which is introduced briefly in an appendix.

Item Type:Books
Keywords:relativity
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Gray, Dr Norman
Authors: Gray, N.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
Publisher:Cambridge University Press
ISBN:9781108995634
Published Online:26 January 2022
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